Unitarian Univeralist Church of the North Hills

What's So Funny About Humor?
2026-05-24 10:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | West Room and Zoom
Tony Palermo

Of all the survival techniques Natural Selection has honed in us, the ability to laugh seems the most, well, superfluous. What good is it, how do we make it happen, and what are some – hopefully – fulfilling examples? Let’s look at Bugs Bunny, the Far Side, Opus the penguin, Abbott and Costello and others. Bring your funny bone

Roots Hold Me Close, Wings Set Me Free
2026-05-31 10:30
Rev. Lee Anne Washington

The transition from youth to young adulthood is both joyful and bittersweet: a time of letting go without becoming untethered, gaining independence without losing connection. As young adults move toward wider horizons, the people, places, values, and lessons that have shaped them can continue to guide them. This Sunday, as we celebrate our Bridging Ceremony, we will reflect on how roots and wings work together, helping young adults become free without becoming alone.

When Two Rivers Meet and Merge
2026-06-07 10:30
Rev. Lee Anne Washington

Here in Pittsburgh, we often speak of three rivers: the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio. But older Indigenous naming traditions offer another way of seeing the same waters: whether the long river was called Ohio or Allegheny, the Monongahela was understood as a tributary flowing into something larger. Same water. Different map. Larger truth.
On this Annual Meeting Sunday, we will reflect on Rev. Christopher Buice’s parable of two arguing rivers and consider how two or more things can be true at the same time. As we prepare to gather around lunch, reports, budgets, elections, memories, hopes, and shared decisions, we will ask what it means for a congregation to flourish not through sameness, but through faithful confluence — many currents joining in one larger life.

Dreams of Hope: OH MY GOD!
2026-06-14 10:30
Through the power of the arts, Dreams of Hope provides the region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, and allied (LGBTQA+) youth a welcoming environment to grow in confidence, express themselves, and develop as leaders.
We will have some of our youth participants perform excepts from our 2026 theatriQ production:
OH MY GOD! a theatriQ original production
The Fable Realm is thrown out of balance when the God of Wisdom dies. While in mourning, the rest of the gods must contend with how to prevent a world without Wisdom.
OH MY GOD! explores the legacy that emerges from their collective grief.
Over the course of seven months, Dreams of Hope’s queer and Trans performing arts youth ensemble created OH MY GOD! The members of theatriQ collaborated to write, produce, and present a remarkable show honoring their individual and collective truths.

Beyond the Shadows: Illuminating True Interdependence
2026-06-21 10:30
Rev. Lee Anne Wasthingon
There’s a delicate balance between individual agency and our Seventh UU Principle: the interdependent web of existence. In celebrating Summer Solstice, we step out of the shadows of two persistent errors—a toxic empathy that minimizes human capability by viewing people as perpetual victims, and a rigid self-sufficiency that refuses the support of others.
Drawing on several wisdom traditions, we will examine how the best community caretaking promotes a healthy interdependence, through personal resourcefulness, rather than permanent dependency.

What We Tend Becomes Precious
2026-06-28 10:30
Rev. Lee Anne Wasthingon
A garden teaches us that beauty cannot be rushed, love cannot be forced, and growth asks for patience, attention, and trust. This Flower Communion Sunday, with wisdom from The Little Prince and from those who know the holy work of tending living things, we will reflect on how what we care for changes us — and how beloved community becomes precious through the time and tenderness we give to one another.

Everyone is invited to bring a flower for our shared bouquet and food to share at coffee hour. There will be extras of both if you forget.

The 2026 Unitarian Universalist General Assembly
2026-07-05 10:30
This will be different from our usual Sunday service, but nonetheless engaging and inspiring! We will be playing the service from the UUA’s General Assembly, recorded on June 21, 2026. Enjoy the compelling spirit of the year’s largest UU gathering, where Unitarian Universalists come together in unity for an engrossing Sunday worship celebration! It promises a vibrant, communal worship experience to uplift your soul and ignite your passion. Join us this Sunday as we watch the Sunday Worship Service from the UUA General Assembly 2026, starting at our regular worship service time of 10:30 a.m.

Art, Mind, Wonder
2026-07-12 10:30
David Miles
Not a ‘Deep Dive’, but more like wading into a stream . . . of consciousness. This service is designed as a follow-on to Peggy Fallon’s service about the brain’s participation in placebo power. Delving into the book “Your Brain on Art”, by Magsamen and Ross, discloses many ways the arts affect the functioning of the brain. We will touch on some of these through experiences to encourage congregants to dive deeper into the power of the unconscious. No sermon here – only experiences to activate Your Brain on Art.

This service will not be available to view on our normal youtube live stream. If you cannot join in person, please use the below zoom link to join the service online.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82669082728?pwd=[REDACTED]

Take Me Home
2026-07-19 10:30
Eli Baumwell
Coming back to the church he grew up in, Eli will draw parallels to revisiting foundational principles of America as we honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
